LIU CHAO COUTURE – Spring/Summer 2017

LIU CHAO COUTURE - Spring/Summer 2017

LIU CHAO: The First Solo Collection

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January 25, 2017

By Marcellous L. Jones

Photos by Yannis Vlamos

Paris, France – Presenting for the first time this season under his name is the Chinese couturier Liu Chao. His new couture collection for Spring/Summer 2017 is an opportunity for the young man to expose his talents and savoir-faire with the elites of fashion media and to potential clients.

The young Mr. Liu is a graduated of Studio Berçot in Paris. After completing his studies, he went on to train in embroidery making. He then gained valuable real life professional experience at renowned houses Hermès and Céline.

Liu Chao invited us to view his first solo couture show at the Ritz Hotel at Place Vendôme in order to introduce us to his skills and vision for fashion. This season his work focuses around the sea and the creatures found in it. He covers the pieces with sea animals that are depicted through his clever embroideries. Among the first pieces that comes to view is Liu’s short cropped bomber jacket in double-faced silk. Its large embroidery on its back too a whopping 500 hours to complete by hand. From there we move on to another piece such as his see-through, transparent blue jumpsuit with embroidered shoulders.

Liu seeks to add a bit of versatility in his embroidery work. For example he has created an oversized coat in wool. However instead of expected beads, crystals and sequins, he has opted to create the embroideries on the shoulders by using French tweeds.

Liu Chao has placed a lot of attention on traditional savoir-faire by creating a piece using Chinese techniques. His long pleated skirt is made in a special silk from China (the only piece made in Chinese materials). The silk is light and paper-like to the touch. Liu Chao explained that once the pleats have been formed in the material, the fabric is the rolled in bamboo where it stays for three months. This allows the pleats to become permanent.

Liu Chao must consider his first solo performance as a couturier to be a great success. It is skill like his that makes the difference between luxury and couture.